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Waverley War Memorial Hospital was dedicated in memory of those from the eastern suburbs who died in service or were killed in action during World War One. The operating theatre wing was dedicated in memory of those from the district who lost their lives in the conflict including the boys of the 21st and 22nd Waverley-Woolhara Senior cadets.

The original hospital was the former home of the Vickery family who gifted the home and land to the Methodist Church of New South Wales for use as a private hospital and as a memorial to Mr. E. Vickery.

In the beautiful grounds of the old home of the Vickery family, of Waverley, on Saturday, an interesting function took place. Through the generosity of Mrs. E. Vickery and her family, the magnificent old family home and the charming grounds which surround it were handed over in 1919 to the Methodist Church of New South Wales for use as an intermediary private hospital. Armistice Day was chosen as the date of the opening ceremony, for the hospital is to serve the double purpose of a memorial to the late Mr. E. Vickery and the men of the eastern suburbs who fell in the Great War. The Methodist Church further added to the value of this handsome gift by taking over a large block of land in the vicinity at a cost of about £25,000, £14,000 of which has already been raised. Since 1921 a maternity hospital, established on one portion of this property, has been doing excellent service for the mothers of the district. The new hospital, which includes an operating wing, for the erection of which £2000 was subscribed anonymously by a number of gentlemen in the Woollahra district, is capable of accommodating 50 medical and surgical cases and 20 maternity cases. His Excellency the Governor, who was accompanied by Dame Margaret Davidson, presided. Among others present were Major General C. H. Brand, the Minister for Health (Mr. Oakes), Mr. Walter Marks, M.P., Rev. Eldred Dyer (president of the New South Wales Methodist Conference) and Alderman Kavanagh (Mayor of Waverley).

The function opened with the hymn, "O God Our Help In Ages Past," for which the accompaniment was played by the Metropolitan Police Band. Mrs. E. Vickery then performed the official opening ceremony. His Excellency said that the building had been the home of the Vickery family for the last 60 years. After his mother had performed the ceremony, Mr. Frank Vickery delivered a short address. He said that the nine brothers and sisters in the family had fully concurred in making the gift. It had been offered as a thanksgiving for relatives who had come back from the war and also as a memorial in honour of their father. Some of them also thought that by getting various religious denominations working for the hospital it might have some influence in promoting church union. The honour roll of 40 soldiers in whose names gifts had been made to the hospital was unveiled by his Excellency. Major-General Brand unveiled the tablet dedicating the operating wing. Sydney Morning Herald (NSW), 13 November 1922.

Location

Details

Monument Type:

Structure

Monument Theme:

Conflict

Sub-Theme:

WW1

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:

Saturday 11th November, 1922

Front Inscription

Plaque:

THE
OPERATING THEATRE WING OF THIS HOSPITAL
IS DEDICATED TO THE HONORED MEMORY
OF
(names) AND THE BOYS OF THE 21ST & 22ND BATTALIONS
WAVERLEY - WOOLLAHRA SENIOR CADETS
WHO RETURNED NOT FROM THE GREAT CRUSADE
1914-1918

ON FAMES ETERNAL CAMPING GROUND
THEIR SILENT TENTS ARE SPREAD
AND GLORY GUARDS WITH SOLEMN ROUND
THE BIVOUAC OF THE DEAD.